Phin Alley
by TheEvilBanana
Summary: Non HBP Compliant. Ron's retelling of a fateful and grievous afternoon in Diagon Alley. Character Death. Oneshot.


**Strange it Happened on Phin Alley**

Okay so I have Cold Case to thank for this…inspiration. Non-HBP Compliant

Disclaimer: It's all J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Ronald Weasley sat alone in his room, staring unblinkingly into the distance. A lone tear tracked down his aged and weathered face. A sudden, shrill sound of the doorbell startled him out of his deep reverie. Dabbing the tear from his eye, Ron ran a shaky hand through his speckled hair. Rising from the couch as quickly as his creaking bones would allow, he shuffled across the floor to the door. Hand hesitating above the doorknob, Ron drew a deep breath and pulled the wood from its frame.

A young, bespectacled reporter with blonde hair and pale blue eyes greeted him.

"Hello, are you Mr. Weasley?" the lad asked in a wistful voice. His eyes shone bright with anticipation. Ron grunted and nodded slowly. The reporter smiled.

"I want to thank you so much for doing this review for The Quibbler. Mother was so pleased when she found out. She remembers you, you know, from your Hogwarts days." Ron stared down at the spitting image of Luna.

"Well, er, come in then," the elder intoned gruffly, never taking his eyes off the boy. The reporter grinned broadly, his far away eyes roving around the room.

"Sit down if you want," said Ron uncomfortably. He offered the boy tea, which was politely declined. Ron read his nametag. Onyx Lovegood. His eyes traveled up to the boy's face, and fleeting memories assaulted him. Shaking himself, Ron returned his focus to the young Lovegood's voice.

"…suppose you could begin wherever your story begins," Onyx was saying thoughtfully. He smiled genially at Ron, who raised an eyebrow.

Ron paused, unsure if the young man would continue, but the reporter's eyes never wavered, and he sat silently gazing up at Ron expectantly and patiently. Ron glanced at Lovegood, then sighed and began.

"I s'pose I'll just…" Ron started. Onyx nodded encouragingly, wide blue eyes luminous. "Er, right then." Ron cleared his throat. "It happened the summer before our sixth year at Hogwarts. Harry, Her…" He shook himself. "Hermione…and I were in Diagon Alley looking for school supplies…"

* * *

It had all been very sudden. So unexpected. Harry and Hermione and I were browsing in Madame Malkins for new dress robes. I wasn't particularly hoping for a new set, but Hermione had wanted to go, so I happily tagged along, dragging Harry with me.

Hermione was currently in the process of simultaneously admiring a purple gown and pouring over her school supply list.

"Oh," she said suddenly, "It seems I need wolfsbane for potions." She frowned. Harry rolled his eyes and I made a rude gagging noise. Neither of us was taking potions this year. Hermione gave us a disparaging look before turning thoughtful.

"Hmm, the apothecary is closed today." She looked at me worriedly. "I really wanted to get all my shopping done today too, so I could focus on getting a head start on homework tomorrow."

Ah, time to be gallant.

"Don't worry about it Hermione," I chimed cheerfully. "There's another apothecary over on Phin Alley. We can go there." Hermione gave me a puzzled look.

"It's just past Knockturn Alley," I said, elaborating. I shrugged. "There's a Muggle Artifact store right next to it. Dad drags me around sometimes." Hermione nodded and smiled, accepting this explanation.

We exited Madame Malkins empty-handed and headed for Knockturn Alley. Ignoring the leering hags and filthy shopkeepers, I lead Harry and Hermione through to Phin Alley.

In contrast to the grimy streets of Knockturn Alley and the bustling ones of Diagon, Phin Alley was strangely deserted. Its stone streets were rough and uneven. The few surrounding buildings were ancient and crumbling. It was eerily quiet save for the distant sounds of Knockturn Alley. Personally, it always reminded me of the Muggle ghost town stories Dad would tell me.

"Err, right, this way then," I said, and took them down toward the second store on the left. Hermione walked close to my right and Harry strayed back a few feet.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said quietly, grasping my hand as she did so. I blushed, elated at the praise.

We were almost at the door five minutes later when we noticed something was wrong. Harry was missing. Worried and somewhat afraid, we took off in search of The Boy Who Lived.

"Harry! Haaaarryyy!" cried Hermione. No answer.

"Oy, mate, if you're funning us, I'll kill you" I called. Still no reply, but I saw the flicker of a shadow pass around one of the brick shops. I signaled to Hermione, and we crept toward the dilapidated old building. The minute we rounded the corner, two flashes of green light shot directly at us.

"Shit," I whispered, barely escaping the jet of color. I fired a stunning curse at our attackers before whirling around to check on Hermione. She was nowhere to be found.

"Hermione!" I shouted, rage and fear pulsing through my veins. I was confused, she had been there not a minute ago. I was beginning to panic, my heart thudding in my chest painfully. A bone-chilling, high pitched laugh echoed from further down the street. It sent shivers up my spine. _Hermione_, I thought, and blitzed off in the direction of the cold voice, the adrenaline fueling my desperate dash.

I arrived in the middle of Phin Alley. It was deserted, save for three figures in the center. Blood rushed to my head as I recognized them. Hermione…Harry….and Voldemort.

No Death Eaters were present, but Voldemort looked calm, his deranged smile broadening as he saw me charging toward him. Before I could think, a body bind curse trapped me and I toppled to the unforgiving cobblestones with a groan. My wand rolled out of reach several yards away. Voldemort laughed again, and I shuddered.

I raised my head as much as possible to see Hermione and Harry in similar positions. Harry's face was unreadable, but Hermione looked absolutely murderous. A detached part of my mind whispered, _That's my girl._

"So, it seems we're all here," Voldemort hissed. "How…quaint." He grinned madly.

"Let them go Voldemort, they've got nothing to do with this!" Harry shouted, eyes glinting fiercely. Voldemort let out a low hiss.

"To the contrary, Potter, they have _everything _to do with this." He turned to Hermione, who flinched visibly but recovered her defiant posture. "Ladies first." His harsh whisper drew out the 's' sound. Voldemort raised his wand, and I struggled harder than ever to free myself.

"Don't touch her!" I screamed. Voldemort's glittering eyes fixed on me. He laughed lowly.

"I will _so _enjoy this," he hissed. "_Crucio!"_

Hermione screamed, writhing on the ground where she lay. I too shouted, horror overcoming me.

"STOP!" I bellowed. Voldemort laughed and Hermione's painful shrieks grew louder.

When he at last let up the curse, Hermione lay panting, body shaking, a crumpled heap. I cried out to her, Harry joining me. Voldemort's piercing laugh once again rang out.

"You bastard!" I shouted. Hermione's tormentor grinned, pointed teeth flashing.

"The fun…has only just begun," Voldemort hissed cruelly. He turned suddenly, his wand directed towards my own fallen one. A muttered word and the wood transformed into a sharp dagger, its blade glinting in the sunlight.

"NO!" I shouted, my voice growing hoarse. Voldemort pointed his wand directly at Hermione's chest.

"_Imperio_," he whispered. I watched in horror as Hermione's quaking body shuddered and she stood limply, like a rag doll suspended by strings. Slowly she crossed over toward me, past me.

"No! Hermione you've got to fight it! You're stronger than that, c'mon!" shouted Harry, ripping me out of my stupor.

"You can do it, 'Mione!" I called desperately. "Please…"

Hermione hesitated and struggled agitatedly for a moment, but Voldemort only laughed and Hermione continued on toward the dagger. Tears were falling freely down my face as I watched her reach down and grab the hilt of the blade. She brought it slowly, robotically, to her chest. I could see she was battling with all her strength to no avail.

"Please Hermione," I whispered. She moved her eyes to me, or maybe Voldemort made her do that. Her eyes glistened and a tear trickled down her face.

"…Ron…" she murmured, and with a final movement thrust the blade into her chest.

"NOOOOO!! HERMIONE!!" I screamed. Her body fell to the ground. I barely noticed anything around me. I forgot about Harry, about Voldemort, about being in immediate peril. Hermione was gone, gone. I sobbed and through my cries I could hear a distinct high-pitched laugh.

I rose my head, rage and grief consuming me. I saw Voldemort. I saw Harry shouting at him, tears falling from his face. Voldemort was leering at the both of us.

"_Silence"_ he hissed, and when his command wasn't enough, he shot _Silencio _charms our way.

"Now," he turned to Harry, "I've waited long enough, too long, for this. No mistakes this time Potter." He grinned malevolently.

As he raised his wand to Harry's forehead, I felt something hot and wet on my hand. Glancing down, my stomach churned and my mind reeled as I saw Hermione's blood staining my hand. I looked at her body. The base of the blade protruded from her chest. Her body twitched once, twice, then was still. I felt sick as hot tears ran down my face in rivulets. A sudden snarl from Harry's direction pulled my unwilling gaze toward him and Voldemort.

Voldemort was towering over Harry's small frame, enraged and a glob of what must have been Harry's spit on his left cheek. In any other situation this would have been funny, and I laughed a hollow, humorless, grief-stricken laugh, overcome with emotions. In a matter of seconds it dissolved into choked cries.

In one fluid and all too quick motion, Voldemort spoke the unforgivable words and the jet of green light illuminated Harry's face a second before entering his skull. Harry's eyes widened in surprise, then fell dead, unmoving and fixed.

* * *

Ron drew a deep breath.

"Voldemort kept me alive, to let me suffer," he said in a clearly pained voice. "It was so unexpected. No one ever thought he would appear in broad daylight." Ron's voice cracked and his eyes shimmered with tears. He cleared his throat and Onyx looked on sympathetically.

"Did no one hear anything?" Onyx asked carefully. Ron shook his head.

"No…Phin Alley is so far from anything. And the shopkeepers were all later found dead," he added bitterly. Onyx shook his head sadly.

"Do you blame yourself for what happened?" he asked gently. Ron gave a curt, pained nod of his head.

"If only I hadn't…suggested going there," he whispered, the tears falling. "After, I wanted to…to…well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't." He gave a humorless laugh, hand waving around the room, its white floors and thickly padded walls, the cold iron bedpost and barred window.

Onyx nodded and they sat in silence. Eventually Onyx stood and thanked the man.

"Mother would love to visit sometime, I'm sure. I'll be sure she brings charms to ward off the Nargles for you. This place must be swarming with them," Onyx said seriously. Ron nodded sadly and the two shook hands.

From his window, Ron watched as the young Lovegood wandered out Psych Ward of St. Mungo's.

"Strange," he whispered, "So strange it should happen on Phin Alley."

* * *

Das Ende.

Alright! A bit different from what I usually write, true, but I think it came out alright. Though somehow it went through my head a lot more smoothly than it came out on paper. Just goes to show that I watch too much television.

Oh and I realize that Onyx's last name should have been whatever Luna's husband's last name was, but I wasn't that creative. So let's pretend Luna kept her last name and gave it to her son

And for those who don't get it, "Phin Alley" sounds like "Finale."

Tell me what you think!


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